Watertight bag



July 15, 1947. v. H. HURT WATERTIGHT BAG Filed June 24. 1943 mmv "mmmumumuiuur m rzoRNEY July l5, 1947. v, H HURT v 2,423,889

Y WATERTIGHT BAG FledvJune 24,7 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR d70/ H.HIJ/f7 ATTORNEY Patented July 15, 1947 WATERTIGHT BAG `Victor H. Hurt,Cranston, R. I., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 24, 1943, Serial No.492,059

(Cl. G-52) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to watertight bags and more particularly to bagsof this type having a large opening and a folding neck for `closing suchopening.

Some of the features of the present invention may be used in varioustypes of bags having a folding neck closure, but the invention relatesmore particularly to a bag comprising a receptacle which is more or lesssquare or rectangular in shape and has a folding neck closure adapted toopen and close one entire end o-f the receptacle. Such la bag is welladapted for use as a watertight container in which food, clothing andeld equipment may be protected from the weather on land or at sea. Italso forms a watertight and airtight buoyant container which will floatwhen dropped into the sea.

The purpose in forming the bag with such a large folding neck closure isto enable the bag to be used as a watertight cover or container forradio equipment or other instrument enclosed in a cabinet that fitssnugly within the bag. When the bag is so used it must have a largeopening through which the cabinet can be introduced and removed.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide watertight bags or containerswith especially constructed slide fasteners that are designed to eX-clude water, but the opening provided by such slide fasteners isconsiderably smaller than the cross-sectional area of the bag orcontainer and therefore is not large enough for the purpose hereincontemplated.

One important feature of the present invention resides in a watertightbag that is shaped to fit closely around a cabinet or casing and whichis provided with a watertight folding neck closure that has an openinglarge enough to receive the cabinet or casing. The neck of such a bagwill be wide enough when in a flat condition to project beyond the sidesof the bag, so that when this neck is folded or rolled down to close theopening the roll will proj ect beyond the side walls of the bag. Thepresent invention therefore further contemplates the constructionwhereby these protruding rolled ends may be folded down against the sidewalls of the bag and held in this position.

Another feature of the present invention resides in a watertight baghaving a folding neck closure that is free from metal parts and whichcloses the bag so effectively that it will conne air therein to increasethe buoyancy of the bag so that it will float in water.

Another feature of the present invention resides in a cover flap adaptedto be secured down tightly over an end of the bag in position to connethe folded neck closure between this flap and an end of the bag so as torender the bag water tight and air tight.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in theconstruction of the end opening of theneck whereby the edge portion ofthe neck opening is sumciently stiff to form a bar upon which the neckmay be rolled, and one end edge portion is held in register with theother as the neck is folded or rolled down upon itself Ito close theopening; while at the same time the end opening of the neck is flexibleenough to permit it being opened fully, and the protruding portions ofthe rolled neck can be folded down against they sides of the bag.

The above and other features of the present invention will be furtherunderstood from the following description when read in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein;

Fig. l is a perspective view of a box-shaped watertight bag of thepresent invention shown closed;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bag open;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken through a portion of the bagneck and shows how one end edge of the neck is held in register with theother end edge; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an upper end portion of the neck showingthe construction of the seam along a folded side edge of the neck.

The bag illustrated in the drawing is constructed of waterproof orrubberized fabric and is designed to give good service even whensubjected to hard usage. The construction is such that the neck openingand all other parts of the bag may be entirely free of metal partsexcept possibly for the straps used to hold the end flap buckled down inits closed position. The bag may be made of any desired size and shapeand is shown as having the shape of a rectangular box provided with thefront wall I0, rear wall I I, side walls I2, bottom wall I3 and aclosure neck It which is tightly secured to the upper ends of the wallsI0, II and I2 and forms the closure for the entire upper end of the bag.The vertical edges of the bag are preferably rounded as shown and arestrengthened by the covering strips I5, and the bottom wall I3 is shownas having its marginal edge I6 folded up around and adhesively securedto the Vertical Walls of the bag. Over the upwardly folded edge IS isprovided the protecting strip I'I extending entirely around the lowerportion of the bag. The parts of the bag so far described by referencenumerals may be formed of canvas which is friction coated on both faceswith rubber or other Waterproofing material, and the exposed face ofsuch fabric is preferably also skim coated with rubber or the like. Thecanvas is friction coated by passing it between two calender rolls oneof which runs at a higher speed than the canvas so that this roll willrub or friction the rubber material into the fabric. This diers fromstraight calender coating or skim coating wherein both rolls and thefabric run at the same speed, in which case the rubber material can beforced into the fabric by pressure only to the point of its viscosityresistance.

The closure neck Iii may be formed of similar material except that itpreferably is not skim coated so that it will be sufficiently flexibleto be easily folded or rolled down upon itself to close the bag. Theneck is relatively long and wide as shown and may be constructed of asingle piece of material extending entirely around the upper end of thebag to which it is adhesively secured with a watertight joint, and theedge portions of such fabric are secured to gether alo-ng both of thevertical seams I8 in a fiat condition for a .purpose to be described.

Since the neck It has a, cross-sectional area of approximately the samesize as the correN sponding cross-sectional area of the bag proper thewidth of this neck is such that when its up per edge portions arebrought together the flatn tened neck will project some distance beyondthe sidewalls I2 of the bag, and when this neck is folded or rolled downupon itself to close the bag the ends of such roll will project beyondthe side walls of the bag as will be apparent from Figs. l and 3,wherein these rolled end portions are shown as folded down along thesidewalls I2 of the bag.

It is desirable that the upper edge portions of the bag neck berelatively stiff so that when these upper edge portions are broughttogether they will together form a bar upon which the neck I 4 may berolled as it is wound down into position to rest upon the top of thereceptacle or bag proper. This may be secured by increasing thestiffness of the upper edge portions of the bag neck. In theconstruction shown it is secured by providing the relatively stifffabric strip I9 along the upper edge of one side of the neck and thefabric strip Zii along the upper edge of the opposite side of the neck.

It is important that the strips il? and 20 be maintained in registeredrelation as the neck is wound about these strips, since the crowding ofthe fabric at one side of the neck during this winding operation tendsto shift one strip laterally, that is in a direction perpendicular toits length, relative to the other in a manner which may cause the neckopening to leak. To avoid this the strip 2D is preferably provided withthe folded over portion 2l that is vulcanized in this folded conditionto form a pocket in which the strip I 9 is inserted as best shown inFig. 5. This simple construction retains the strips I9 and 20 in thedesired registered condition and forms a relatively stiff bar aboutwhich the neck is Wound as it is rolled down to close the bag opening.

It is found important to provide at adhesively sealed seams I3 at theopposite edges of the bag neck as shown in Fig. 6, because if theseseams are not sealed in a tightly folded condition they tend to form a,small air channel through the rolled neck through which air may leakfrom the bag or water may enter the bag.

After the neck I4 has been rolled down upon itself to close the bagopening, it is protected by the cover iiap 22 adapted to cover theentire upper end of the bag. This cover flap as shown is permanentlysecured to the rear wall II of the bag by the seam 23, and the flap isprovided at its front edge and side edges with the buckles 2d adapted tobe engaged by the straps 25 secured to the front Wall I0 and the sideWalls I2. When the iiap 22 is buckled down as shown in Fig. l the rolledneck I4 will be completely covered by this flap and will be grippedbetween this flap and the upper end of the bag as illustrated in Figs.1, 3 and 4, with the ends of the roll I4 held down along the side wallsI2 of the bag.

The entire bag may be built up from unvulcanized rubberized fabric, uponla hollow form of the desired shape, and then the bag may be closed asshown in Fig. 1 about such forni, whereupon the bag is placed in aclosed vulcanizer. After it is vulcanized itmay be opened up as in Fig.2 so that the form can be removed.

While in the construction herein shown and described the closure neck isso large that when it is rolled down upon itself the roll ends projectbeyond the sides of the bag, it is to be understood that some of thefeatures of the present invention may be used upon a neck which does notso project beyond the sides of the bag.

As a result of the present invention the opening of the bag is veryeffectively closed so as to exclude water therefrom, and the rolled neckclosure isl so tight that air can be confined in the bag even when it issubjected to a substantial flattening pressure.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

1. A water-tight and air-tight bag comprising, a box-like receptacle ofwatertight material, a closure for the receptacle consisting of arelatively long and wide neck, stiiening strips permanently securedalong the opposite sides of the neck opening and adapted when broughttogether to form a bar upon which the neck may be wound in a roll thatrests against an end of the receptacle, means permanently secured to onestiifening strip for holding the other stiiening strip throughout itslength from moving laterally thereto during the rolling of the neck, anda cover flap having means for securing it down over said end of thereceptacle in position to coniine the roll between the receptacle andflap, whereby a closure capable of containing air under pressure isprovided.

2. A water-tight and air-tight bag comprising, a receptacle ofwater-tight material, a closure for the receptacle consisting of a longneck that is wide enough when in a fiat condition to project beyond thesides of the receptacle and adapted to be wound in a roll that restsagainst an end of the receptacle with the ends of the roll projectingbeyond the sides of the receptacle, said projecting ends of said rollcontaining the edge of said neck opening being adapted to be bent alongsaid sides, and a cover flap having means for securing the projectingends of said roll against the sides of said receptacle and theintermediate portion of said roll against said end of the receptacle inlposition to conne the roll between the receptacle and flap, whereby aclosure capable of comining air under pressure is provided.

3. A water-tight and air-tight bag comprising, a receptacle ofwater-tight material having an integral neck the transverse area oiwhich is approximately as large as the corresponding transverse area ofthe receptacle, said neck being adapted to be wound in a roll that restsagainst an end of the receptacle with the ends of the roll protruding,means for holding the edge portions at the outer end of the neck alignedas the neck is rolled upon itself, and a cover flap having means forsecuring it down over said end of the receptacle in position to confinethe roll between the receptacle and ilap and with said protruding endsfolded down against the sides of the receptacle, whereby a closurecapable of conning air under pressure is provided.

4. A water-tight and air-tight bag comprising, a receptacle ofwater-tight material having an integral neck of substantial width, apair of stifening strips secured to the opposite sides of the neckopening in position to rest one against the other t0 form a bar uponwhich the neck may be rolled down against an end of the re ceptacle,means permanently secured upon one strip and having a folded-over edgeforming a pocket for holding the other strip from moving laterallythereto during the roliing operation, and a flap adapted to be secureddown over said end of the receptacle against the rolled neck, whereby aclosure capable of conning air under pressure is provided.

5. A Water-tight and air-tight bag comprising,

a box-like receptacle of water-tight material having an integral neck ofsubstantial width, a pair of stiffening strips permanently secured tothe opposite sides of the neck opening and adapt-- ed together to form abar upon which the neck may be rolled down against an end of thereceptacle, means permanently secured to one.

receptacle, whereby a closure capable of conning air under pressure isprovided.

6. A water-tight and air-tight bag comprising, a receptacle ofwater-tight material having a wide integral neck, a pair of stifeningstrips permanently secured t0 the opposite sides of the neck opening andone strip being provided with a folded over edge along its lengthforming a pocket for the other strip and adapted together to form a barupon which the neck may be wound t0 form a roll that closes the bagopening, the said pocket being adapted to hold one strip from movinglaterally relative to the other during the rolling of the neck, and aflap for holding the neck in this wound condition, whereby a closurecapable of confining air under pressure is provided.

7. A water-tight and air-tight bag comprising, a receptacle ofwater-tight material having a wide integral neck formed with flatadhesiveclosed seams at its opposite folded edges that avoid theformation of air channels along these seams, a pair of stiiening stripspermanently secured to the opposite sides of the neck opening and one ofthe strips having a folded-over edge forming a pocket for the otherstrip to hold the strips properly aligned so that the strips togetherform a bar upon which the neck may be wound in a roll that closes thebag opening, and a flap for holding the neck in this rolled condition,whereby a closure capable of confining air under pressure is provided.

VICTOR H. HURT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,814,614 Barnes July 14, 19311,689,396 Lang Oct. 30, 1928 1,671,385 Strayer May 29, 1928 214,771Gathright et al Apr. 29, 1879 1,995,950 Stone Mar. 26, 1935 2,087,611Wells et al July 20, 1937 2,000,928 Cundall etal. May 14, 1935 1,661,143Littman Feb. 28, 1928 2,356,602 Madsen Aug. 22, 1944

